John Philip, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Johann Philipp of Saxe- Altenburg ( * January 25, 1597 in Torgau, † April 1, 1639 in Altenburg ), from the House of Wettin Ernestine was the first self-governing Duke of Saxe- Altenburg.
Life
Johann Philip was the eldest son of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm I of Saxe- Weimar (1562-1602) from his second marriage to Anna Maria (1575-1643), daughter of Duke Philipp Ludwig von Pfalz- Neuburg.
After the death of his father Johann Philipp inherited together with his brothers Friedrich, Johann Wilhelm and Friedrich Wilhelm the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg. The division of the state of his father's Duchy had already been established by his father in a contract with his brother John, fell to the Saxe-Weimar. The guardianship of the prince led the Elector of Saxony and their uncle Johann; after his death in 1605 the former alone. Between the lines Weimar and Altenburg soon broke out of the so -called " Präzedenzstreit " to former common property, and especially to the proportion of the county of Henneberg, judicial and protection money from Erfurt, Jena University and the mint Saalfeld and the primacy of the houses in case of extinction Albertine, who was, despite mediation settled by the emperor only in 1672 with the extinction of the line of Saxe-Altenburg.
After the Jülich- Kleve Succession dispute, the brothers performed the title of Dukes of Jülich, Cleves and Berg, but only nominally. 1612 the brothers went for further training at the University of Leipzig, where Johann Philipp was appointed rector the following year. In 1618 Johann Philipp came of age and took over the government. His brothers he took off with Leibgedingen.
Johann Philipp acquired 1621, the rule Grafenthal, issued an improved land order and a printed Taxordnung for craftsmen. Other territorial gains made by Johann Philipp the extinction of the Counts of peers and the older line of Saxe-Coburg. In the Thirty Years' War, the country had to suffer severely. The population decreased rapidly and in 1632 the city was sacked by Wallenstein. When Johann Philipp protested and appealed to a promise by the generals of Heinrich Holk, Wallenstein replied: " If the Lord Christ himself comes, the apostles must be silent. "
Johann Philipp was a member of the Fruchtbringende company with the company name of " the most precious ." He is buried in the Church of the Brethren in Altenburg.
Marriage and issue
Johann Philipp married on October 25, 1618 in Altenburg Elisabeth ( 1593-1650 ), daughter of Duke Heinrich Julius of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel. She was widow of Duke August of Saxony. The marriage produced a daughter emerged:
- Elizabeth Sophia (1619-1680)